Turkish citizenship
Acquiring Turkish citizenship by general naturalisation, by marriage and exceptionally by investment, and remedies against refusal.
Acquisition of Turkish citizenship is governed by Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and its implementing regulation. Applications are made to provincial civil registry directorates or, abroad, to Turkish missions; the decision is taken by the Ministry of Interior.
Main routes
- General naturalisation (Art. 11): conditions include five years of continuous residence in Türkiye before the application, good conduct, sufficient Turkish, means of subsistence and no security obstacle.
- By marriage (Art. 16): being married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years, living in family unity and not engaging in activities incompatible with the marriage.
- Exceptional acquisition (Art. 12): through investments such as real estate, fixed capital investment or deposits in amounts set by the regulation. Since the amounts change periodically, check the current figure before applying.
Process
After the application, a security check and document review are carried out; general naturalisation also involves a commission interview. Depending on the file, the process may take several months or longer.
Refusal
Refusal of a citizenship application is an administrative act and can be challenged before the administrative courts. The reason for refusal (e.g. an interruption in residence, missing documents) matters for reapplying or suing.
Sources
- Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Arts. 11, 12, 16
- Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law